President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s apparent reference to the United States as a “declining nation” applied to the Biden administration, not to what Trump described as America’s rebound under his own leadership.
Trump Says Xi Meant Biden Era
“When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“President Xi was not referring to the incredible rise that the United States has displayed to the world during the 16 spectacular months of the Trump Administration,” Trump added. “Two years ago, we were, in fact, a Nation in decline. On that, I fully agree with President Xi!”
Trump also wrote, “Now, the United States is the hottest Nation anywhere in the world, and hopefully our relationship with China will be stronger and better than ever before!”
Xi Raises Thucydides Trap Warning
It was not immediately clear whether Xi used the phrase “declining nation” in private talks. In public remarks Thursday, Xi asked whether China and the United States could avoid the “Thucydides Trap,” a concept referring to tensions between an established power and a rising one that can lead to conflict. Xi asked whether both countries could “create a new paradigm of major-country relations,” according to Chinese-based outlet CCTV.
The New York Times reported that Xi also referred to “great changes unseen in a century,” a phrase common in Chinese diplomacy that points to the weakening of the U.S.-led post-World War II order.
Xi also warned over Taiwan, saying “Taiwan independence” and peace across the Taiwan Strait were “as irreconcilable as fire and water,” according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
Trade And Taiwan Dominate Beijing Talks
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Trump said he did not think Biden would have received a meeting with Xi. But Biden met Xi in Lima, Peru, on Nov. 16, 2024, in what the White House said was their third meeting as presidents.
Trade has dominated the Beijing summit, alongside Taiwan, technology restrictions and Iran. Reuters reported that Trump and Xi are scheduled for a “Friendship Photo” on Friday, followed by tea and lunch before Trump returns to Washington.
Photo Courtesy: noamgalai on Shutterstock.com
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